5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

Reads: None. BB hadn't been there long, he had posted in the CO when he showed up. I made a steal attempt, got raised, read that as dn't jack with my BB type of thing, and called. Figured I'd see the flop, caught the FD.

Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.02/$0.05 Blinds - 6 Players - (LegoPoker Hand History Converter)

SB: $11.86
BB: $5.78
UTG: $9.93
MP: $19.66
CO: $3.79
Hero (BTN): $6.03

Preflop: Hero is dealt T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (6 Players)
3 folds, <font color="red">Hero raises to $0.20</font>, SB folds, <font color="red">BB raises to $0.60</font>, Hero calls $0.40
Uncalled bet of $0.00 returned to Hero

Flop: ($1.22) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 Players)
<font color="red">BB bets $1.35</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises all-in to $5.43</font>

Thoughts?

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

fold to his 3 bet pre-flop. I'd fold the flop aswell, wouldnt be too sure all your flush outs are available.

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

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fold to his 3 bet pre-flop.

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Yes. And stealing the blinds really isn't a play you should be making much at microstakes, simply because it usually will not work.

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

fold to his raise pre

I like the shove on the flop

dear god please keep stealing blinds ... it is awesome money. If you get someone who fights back a lot in this fashion switch tables

Stealing Blinds Pokey Style

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

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dear god please keep stealing blinds ... it is awesome money. If you get someone who fights back a lot in this fashion switch tables


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Mingdu, have you ever played 0.02/$0.05? Blind stealing at this level really doesn't work much. I will concede that if you find a game that it is working in, by all means keep it up, but generally it's not a wise decision.

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

There is a common misconception about "blind stealing", and that is that when we raise a marginal hand on the button, our sole purpose is to take the blind money without a fight. T8s is a perfectly respectable hand, and plays quite well in position against poor opponents. So if your opponents fold a lot and you get a lot of free blind money, great. If your opponents "defend" their blinds too much, even better. Now you're playing a raised pot in position with the initiative. There is value in this.

You shouldn't think of open-raising on the button as stealing the blinds. You should think of it as attacking the blinds. Just because you "got caught" doesn't mean it didn't work.

In this particular instance, however, once you get three-bet, you should let it go. You attacked, he parried, move on.

To the OP: don't level yourself here. You said you have no read. With no read, this is a fold. Don't start thinking about what he thinks you're thinking. You have no history with villain, and you're quite likely to get off on the wrong floor.

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

Exactly. T8s is a value raise on the button. When 3-bet, let it go.

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

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To the OP: don't level yourself here. You said you have no read. With no read, this is a fold. Don't start thinking about what he thinks you're thinking. You have no history with villain, and you're quite likely to get off on the wrong floor.

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Good point GB and advice well heeded.

Earlier today I had read Pokey's post on blind stealing and had been putting some of it into play. Blind steals have always been a weak spot for me starting in LHE and I realize I need to really improve this aspect of the game.

Calling the pre-flop with T8s is most likely -EV. I really thought he was simply playing back and I called not only for this hand, but figured it would be noticed that I will call the Blind raise from the BTN when the aggressor. Everyone says micro players are unobservant, but I did have three players with over 300+ hands at this table who were TAGgy too.

Had I not drawn the [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]'s on the flop I was done with it. End result was: I pushed with the FD; he called; the [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] fell on the turn and I cracked his Aces.

Go figure... Aces in the BB. That's 'EN09's Law'. Make a move into the nuts or big hand.

EN

Re: 5NL: Blind Steal escalates w/T8s OTB
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


dear god please keep stealing blinds ... it is awesome money. If you get someone who fights back a lot in this fashion switch tables


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Mingdu, have you ever played 0.02/$0.05? Blind stealing at this level really doesn't work much. I will concede that if you find a game that it is working in, by all means keep it up, but generally it's not a wise decision.

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I do agree with you somewhat No Fizzle, but even though it doesn't work "much", it does work "some".

<font color="blue">* Conceding upfront the small sample size, yada, yada argument...</font>

Steal attempts of 24.10% over the course of 6,000 hands combined, in 5NL &amp; 10NL, is currently showing returns of 1.98PTBB/100.

Being able to raise the blinds and habitually fire again - and being comfortable with it - is my chief goal before moving back to 10NL and hopefully the 25NL game soon.

Thanks for the advice. It is sound, well intentioned and a core truism at 5NL.

EN